This is the easiest, gluten-free taco seasoning! Throw out the stuff in the packet with and get ready for the best tacos of your dang life!
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About This Taco Seasoning Recipe
Making tacos on Tuesdays is a tradition in most households, right? It is in ours. Taco Tuesday is one of my favorite days of the week!
But over the last few years, and especially since going gluten-free after my celiac diagnosis in 2009, I found myself increasingly frustrated by taco seasoning packets.
The taco seasoning packets usually don't have gluten-free on the label. It was rare that I could find one that did say that or that didn't contain gluten ingredients. I found myself constantly searching the websites of different companies to determine in fact, if the product was safe to consume.
In more recent years, I've noticed companies have gotten better about labeling, and I'm more confident in my ability to read a food label for gluten, but I still thought there had to be a better way to make taco seasoning that didn't require me to constantly check labels, and would be easy to make myself.
Due to these frustrations and my desire to come up with my own taco seasoning with the right spices, not too much heat, and ingredients I had on hand, I began experimenting. Rummaging through my spice cabinet, I'd carefully pick out a selection of different colorful spices, throwing in a little of this, a little of that, tasting as I went, until the taco seasoning mix felt "right". Finally, after at least 20 different attempts, I have the perfect gluten-free homemade taco seasoning blend!
As with all of my recipes, you are welcome to customize this however you like. I don't like my tacos too spicy, so you'll notice there are lower amounts of cayenne and red pepper flakes. If you like more heat, add it!
Ingredients You Will Need
-Onion powder
-Chili powder
-Garlic powder
-Cornstarch or tapioca starch
-Ground cumin
-Granulated salt
-Red pepper flakes
-Paprika
-Dried oregano
-Black pepper
-Cayenne pepper
How To Make Taco Seasoning
All you do is mix everything together with a fork or whisk in a small bowl. Then, you pour it over your ground beef/turkey with water to thicken!
How To Use This Taco Seasoning
This gluten-free homemade taco seasoning is perfect over ground beef or ground turkey, to be used in tacos, quesadillas, burritos, rice bowls, and more! It's also dairy-free, with a paleo option too. Instead of cornstarch, use tapioca starch. The addition of the cornstarch/tapioca starch helps bind the seasoning together.
Make sure you try it for these gluten-free crunchwrap supremes, a spin on a Taco Bell classic!
How To Store This Taco Seasoning
I usually make one batch at a time, but you could double, triple, or quadruple the recipe so you always have some handy. Keep it in a sealed container or jar at room temperature, just like you do with spices. And then if a recipe calls for using a packet of taco seasoning, use 2-3 teaspoons of this mixture instead along with ½ cup to ¾ cup of water and your ground beef/turkey!
Looking for more gluten-free dinner recipes?
This is the pad thai I learned to make right in Thailand, with a homemade sauce too!
This gluten-free potato leek soup is super creamy without the dairy.
Veggie chili requires minimum prep work and is packed with vegetables.
Want something easy with tons of flavor? Try chicken piccata over pasta or rice.
Check out over 100+ gluten-free recipes on the blog right here.
Here's how to make gluten-free taco seasoning from scratch!
If you love this recipe, please leave a comment! Thank you so much!
Gluten-Free Homemade Taco Seasoning
Gluten-Free Homemade Taco Seasoning
Easier, healthier, homemade taco seasoning with way less sodium than the packaged stuff!
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch or tapioca starch
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ -½ teaspoon granulated salt (adjust based your preference)
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary (optional - we love dried rosemary)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ cup to ¾ cup water
- 1 lb ground beef/turkey
Instructions
Combine all ingredients into a bowl and whisk. Once your ground beef/turkey is browned, add seasoning mixture and ½ cup of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium/low and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Add additional ¼ cup of water if needed.
You can double or triple this recipe and keep the seasoning stored in a jar or container with a lid at room temperature with your spices. Then just use 2-3 teaspoons of it when a recipe calls for a packet of taco seasoning, adjusting as needed.
Notes
Use tapioca starch instead of cornstarch for a paleo option.
What do you put on your tacos?
Do you make your own taco seasoning?
Let me know in the comments!
Ann Saucier says
This is the best GF option for taco seasoning that I have ever tried and I’ve tried a few. I am not fond of overly spicy foods and this gives just the right amount of spice to anything you add it to. I make several batches and keep the extra in a glass jar in my cabinet. When adding to browned meat it’s about 2 Tbsp of mixture. The other thing I like is that the spices used are ones you would normally have in your cabinet.
Jennifer Fitzpatrick says
Thank you so much Ann for your comment! Glad you love the taco seasoning!